The Texas State Board of Education last week approved a new social studies curriculum that, according to reporting by texastribune.org, portrays Islam with an emphasis on violence and conflict with the West — a framing that drew objections from many Muslim Texans.
The Texas Tribune’s education reporter Jaden Edison and Round Rock student activist Ayaan Moledina, 17, discussed the curriculum’s implications on the Tribune’s TribCast podcast. Moledina, who has spoken out against the curriculum’s treatment of Islam, represents a growing number of students and families pushing back on how the new standards frame the religion.
The curriculum approval comes as Texas continues to reshape what students learn in public schools. The State Board of Education also recently voted to make Bible passages required reading in Texas public schools, signaling a broader shift in the board’s approach to curriculum standards.
Edison covers education policy for the Tribune, and Moledina’s involvement highlights how student voices have entered the debate over what Texas classrooms teach about world religions and history.